Electrical connectors are commonly lifted and positioned on a mounting surface using automated equipment referred to as “pick and place” equipment. The pick and place equipment typically includes a vacuum nozzle mounted on an arm or other movable structure.
A pickup cap is usually placed on the connector to provide a suitable surface for the vacuum nozzle to grasp. Pickup caps are typically equipped with latches or other locking features for securing the pickup cap to the electrical connector. The inclusion of locking features in a pickup cap, in general, adds material and weight to the pickup cap. The additional weight associated with the locking features can be particularly disadvantageous when the pickup cap is used with a surface-mount connector such as a ball-grid array (BGA) connector. In particular, the additional weight can potentially interfere with the proper formation of solder connections between the connector and the mounting surface.
Locking features can inhibit quick and easy removal of the pickup cap from the connector after the connector is mounted. Moreover, the force needed to overcome the resistance of locking features can in some cases damage the newly formed solder connections. Also, locking features may be relatively small and delicate, and therefore may break or otherwise fail under repeated use.